Giving chocolate, perhaps along with a bouquet of roses, is an unmissable tradition on Valentine's Day. A symbol of sweetness, love, and passion, chocolate (the Greek term meaning "drink of the gods") was so precious that it was used as currency and was a very expensive food, allowed only for the nobility.

But what pairs well with chocolate? The key element for a successful pairing is the amount of cocoa in the chocolate. Milk chocolate goes well with fortified wines like Passito di Pantelleria, Marsala, Sherry, or Tawny Port. Bitter chocolate, on the other hand, such as dark chocolate, can be paired with spirits, but also with soft red wines, of great structure and "meditation wines".

Particularly suitable for this type of pairing are the great Cabernet Sauvignon, Sagrantino di Montefalco, Amarone, Primitivo di Manduria, or Barolo Chinato. One of the most successful combinations is undoubtedly with Rum, which prefers dark chocolate, according to the rule that a longer aging must correspond to a higher percentage of cocoa. Grappa and chocolate enhance each other and provide an equally satisfying experience if a piece of chocolate is allowed to melt in the mouth after a sip of the spirit.